Methods of using a peripheral component interconnect express (PCIE) device in a virtual environment

Abstract

Methods of using a peripheral component interconnect express (PCIe) device in a virtual environment are disclosed. Two operating systems operate on a primary device. One operating system acts as a guest in a virtual environment within the primary device. A peripheral device is coupled to the primary device through a wireless connection. In an exemplary embodiment, the wireless connection is a PCIe bridge. The host operating system interfaces directly with the memory elements and hardware of the primary device. The guest operating system interoperates with the memory elements and hardware of the peripheral device. The use of the PCIe wireless link allows the guest operating system to interface with the elements of the peripheral device with relatively little latency.

Description

BACKGROUND[0001]I. Field of the Disclosure[0002]The technology of the disclosure relates generally to virtual environments within computing devices.[0003]II. Background[0004]Computing devices have become common throughout society. While a handful of operating systems are used for these devices, the fact remains that there are a plurality of essentially mutually exclusive operating systems available for use on computing devices. There may be situations where a user of a computing device may want to operate multiple operating systems concurrently.[0005]One solution for allowing a user to operate multiple operating systems concurrently is the use of a virtualized environment. One successful commercial implementation of this concept is APPLE's ability to run a WINDOWS environment concurrently with the APPLE operating system. While APPLE has shown that virtual environments for WINDOWS are commercially viable, this option is currently limited to desk top machines and lap tops designed to ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

This patent describes methods for using a device called a PCIe in a virtual environment. This allows two operating systems to work on a single device. One operating system acts as a guest in the virtual environment, and works with the memory and hardware of the device. The other operating system is the host, which directly controls the device. The use of a wireless link called a PCIe bridge helps the guest operating system to quickly interact with the elements of the device. This technology allows for seamless integration of peripheral devices with the primary device, and minimizes latency.

Problems solved by technology

While APPLE has shown that virtual environments for WINDOWS are commercially viable, this option is currently limited to desk top machines and lap tops designed to accommodate the virtual environment.

Other computing devices, and particularly mobile computing devices, do not have the benefit of the APPLE architecture.

Even APPLE's iPHONE® with its myriad capabilities does not provide effective virtual environments.

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